Charity Events in the News
“Brothers” share the NFL experience
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest Florida (BBBS-SWFL)
would like to give a big “Thank you” to the men
in our community who responded to the recent articles about
our shortage of male mentors! Many people may also have seen
the Public Service Announcement that aired in the Super Bowl,
with coaches Tony Dungy & Lovie Smith encouraging Americans
to volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
However, in our community of Southwest Florida, there are
still over seventy (70) boys who are waiting for a “Big
Brother” to throw a football with, go fishing, watch
a baseball game, or just hang out.
To help encourage men to volunteer, one of our current “Big
& Little Brother” matches in the program would like
to share their story on the benefits of mentoring and how
much fun it can be! Last weekend, they took a trip to Dolphin
Stadium in Miami for the “NFL Experience”!
Tevin Nelson (Little) and Michael S. Mayfield (Big) NFL Experience
on Saturday, February 3, 2007 at Dolphin Stadium
 
Big Brothers Big Sisters is the largest provider of one-to-one
youth mentoring services in the United States. Big Brothers
Big Sisters of Southwest Florida has been bringing caring
adults into the lives of local children for 30 years and is
the only one-to-one youth mentoring program in Southwest Florida.
They serve children in Lee, Collier, Hendry and Glades counties,
and currently have more than 400 mentoring matches throughout
their four county service area, including both Community-Based
Program matches and “Bigs In Schools” program
matches at 24 local schools.
Both national and statewide statistics show that children
who are mentored are more likely to improve in school and
in their relationships with family and peers, and are less
likely to skip school or use illegal drugs. Students who are
successful in school are less likely to drop out, become pregnant,
abuse drugs or become involved in criminal activity.
Be a friend. Be a mentor. Just be there.
For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwest
Florida, or to become a mentor, call (239) 278-0003 or visit
www.Hereforthekids.org.
Shelter Milestone
In other shelter news, on Wednesday, February 21 at 2:30 p.m.
we received a dog at intake, the owners surrendering her because
they could not afford to keep her any longer. What makes this
dog extra-special for us is that she is the 75,000th pet cared
for by The Humane Society Naples in its 47-year history. That
is an astonishing figure, and one that we and the entire community
can be very proud of.
Were it not for the continued support of our shelter's donors,
reaching this milestone would not have been possible. We sincerely
thank each and every one of you for supporting our efforts
over the years. We look forward to providing shelter, love
and care to many more pets in our community with your involvement.
Thank you!
A NEW FACE FOR THE WOMEN'S RESOURCE CENTER AFTER A VISIT
FROM JUNIOR LEAGUE OF FORT MYERS
Feb. 23, 2007, FORT MYERS, Fla. – Volunteers from The
Junior League of Fort Myers were hard at work on Saturday,
Feb. 16th at the Women's Resource Center in Fort Myers, helping
to give the store that helps women “Dress for Success”
an updated look.
In addition to the contribution of clothing items to replenish
WRC stock, the League is donated more than $500 for supplies
and approximately 75 volunteer hours.
During the event, JLFM volunteers tried their hand at everything
from building furniture to organization to lighting installation.
The store windows were re-merchandised displaying spring and
summer styles. And many of the women found themselves trying
-- and succeeding – at improvement projects they’d
never attempted before.
“This is a perfect example of our mission,” said
Deanne Kyle, current president of the JLFM, who also worked
on the day of the event. “We’re here to serve
the community but we’re also here to develop and empower
women…so seeing this group of women swinging hammers
to help the WRC, which also exists to empower women, is really
exciting.”
The WRC was founded by the Junior League of Fort Myers in
1996. Its goal is to help women in need to become active members
of society and providers for their families through various
educational programs including the popular “Dress for
Success” program.
“Dress for Success” provides interview training
as well as free and low-cost interview-appropriate attire,
helping to give women the confidence they need to secure a
job.
Photos from the event are available at http://new.photos.yahoo.com/juniorleagueoffortmyers/album/576460762390265283.
About The Women's Resource Center
The Women's Resource Center of Lee County began as a signature
project of the Junior League of Fort Myers in 1996. The Center
assists women who are actively seeking employment and upward
mobility. Partners in Self-Sufficiency of Lee County, Florida,
a non-profit organization designed to enable families, without
regard to age, culture, or economic background, to become
self-sufficient, has fiscal responsibility for the Women's
Resource Center. For more information about the Center please
call 239-461-0222 or visit online at www.wrcofleecounty.org.
About The Junior League of Fort Myers
The Junior League of Fort Myers, Inc., a member of the Association
of Junior Leagues International, Inc., is an organization
of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the
potential of women and improving the community through the
effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its
purpose is exclusively educational and charitable. For more
information about Junior League please call 239-277-1197 or
visit online at www.JLFM.org.
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